The fox is endlessly dashing around, pursuing new things to do and then wanting to do them at speed. The hedgehog is far more methodical and focused. They don’t get distracted by adding too many new responsibilities. If you’re not a hedgehog, then hire one, says Richard Harpin

I’m the first to admit that, as an entrepreneur, I juggle a little too much. Too many new ideas, plans and exciting opportunities. Ever since I launched my first business at school (selling conkers in plastic bags), I’ve always thrived on that restless energy and am a firm believer that in life, there is always more to do.

Sometimes, however, I’m reminded that success is doing the exact opposite. Growth from doing less. That’s what happened at one of my regular Business Leader growth workshops, where entrepreneurs from across the country gather at my London home to discuss how you can build a billion-pound business in nine steps.

There I met Ian Johnson, who wants to expand his successful company, Johnsons Leisure, into Europe. Great, I said. There’s a huge market for the kind of high-quality hot tubs, saunas, cold plunge pools and garden rooms that he sells both online and at more than 20 garden centres across the UK. But instead of replicating his business model by selling the entire range in new territories, he told me that his ambition is much more focused – and that was music to my ears.

Because there are a few occasions in the life of a business when, in order to take three steps forward, you need to take one step back to simplify and refocus. Sometimes, the more that you try to do, the less........

© City A.M.